The invention relates to medical waste disposal and specifically to the disposal of medical waste of the type including syringes, scalpel blades, needles, and the like, known as sharps.
Medical waste may be generally considered a type of hazardous or even toxic waste and requires special waste handling procedures. The disposal of medical waste is controlled by various regulatory bodies which promulgate guidelines and rules for acceptable medical waste disposal procedures and processes. These regulations may include, among others, requirements for dousing the waste with disinfectants, for example. These regulations may also require the disposal of medical waste in facilities which are approved for hazardous waste disposal. Thus, specific and often burdensome procedures are commonly imposed, resulting in the disposal of medical waste being a costly proposition.
Many of the medical waste disposal apparatii currently available basically break the syringes, blades, or needles disposed in the apparatii so the medical implement may not be reused. While this disabling of the implement does satisfy various health, contamination, or safety considerations, the waste still remains classified as medical waste and requires special disposal procedures.